Local choruses join symphony for Haydn concert

At certain times in the history of Western music two or three brilliant composers have latched on to a creative idea and made it their own. French Impressionism? Think Debussy and Ravel. Early Minimalism? Steve Reich and Philip Glass. Jazz-influenced Americans? Bernstein and Gershwin. The list goes on. These are the junctions that shape the course of Western music.

There is no chapter of music history that is more defined by its star composers than the Viennese Classical School. Haydn, Mozart and Beethoven were the great triumvirate, and they created a musical language that is still echoing in the 21st century. Beethoven left Germany in 1792 to go to Vienna. His patron, the Count Waldstein, wrote in his album “You are going to Vienna to…receive the spirit of Mozart from the hands of Haydn.” Haydn was the senior member of the three, the most famous and admired. His career was long (his life-span exceeded Mozart’s by nearly two decades on each end), and he was a powerful influence throughout much of Beethoven’s life. Haydn was an international star, lauded throughout Europe, widely published and prolific beyond imagination.

It is curious, then, that today Haydn exists somewhat in the shadow of his two great contemporaries. The reasons have absolutely nothing to do with the music. He was, by today’s standards, perhaps too prolific. To take one example, he wrote 106 Symphonies! That is not a typo. And the depth and breadth of his work in other genres is comparably vast. But there is a downside to such fecundity. Beethoven struggled to give birth to just nine symphonies, each a pinnacle work. Clearly, if the great Beethoven could only squeeze out nine masterpiece symphonies, nobody could write 106. Therefore, Haydn’s symphonies must be second-rate. The reality of course is the opposite. I can’t claim to know all of Haydn’s symphonies, but I’m well-versed on a couple of dozen; the string of masterpieces is dazzling.

When we listen to the great composers from the past, it is only natural that we want to feel as much connection as we can. It’s easier to find that connection with Mozart and Beethoven, simply because their lives were more dramatic. Mozart, of course, got a great movie deal: “Amadeus” won eight Oscars, including Best Picture. Laughably inaccurate as it is, Mozart is presented as a profoundly sympathetic figure, and the film forever cemented his genius in the public’s perception.

On the other hand, Beethoven’s film (“Immortal Beloved”) didn’t fare nearly so well, but the heroic drama of his life more than made up for it. He was socially awkward, had numerous health issues, and was largely deaf by the age of thirty. Yet he wrote triumphant music that celebrates the human spirit, overcoming countless obstacles to create the most inspiring body of work of any composer in history.

And what of Haydn? No movie at all, no overt drama in his life story, no stunning musical breakthroughs. Just a long life of sustained hard work coupled to a brilliant talent that produced more masterpieces than any of us can grasp. The music is extraordinary, but it’s not such a great sell in the 21st century!

Papa Haydn will explore the full breadth of Haydn’s genius, from the brilliant to the subdued, from mournful to festive, and yes, from the sublime to the ridiculous. A few highlights: “The Depiction of Chaos” from “The Creation” that stretches the newly-formed Classical style right to the edge of breaking. The joyful sound of a large choir celebrating the glory of God. Scary virtuosity from cellist Scott Kluksdahl in Haydn’s greatest concerto. The laugh-out-loud surprise of hearing cymbals, bass drum and triangle burst into the middle of the slow movement of a symphony (that was certainly a first!). And the ridiculous? (Spoiler alert) The sound of an entire violin section absent-mindedly trying to get their strings in tune.

By the time we reach the end, we will have confirmed Haydn’s fully equal standing amongst the triumvirate, and for any listeners that may have considered him to be a lesser composer than Mozart and Beethoven, I’m quite sure you will find a new passion.